Lacroix’s comments come as the UN and African Union (AU) recommend significant cuts to joint security forces in the region, where a peacekeeping mission has been in operation since 2007. He says the mission will now focus on the most precarious parts of the region following a review by the UN and AU.

Situation in Darfur improved

The Darfur conflict began in 2003 when ethnic Africans accused the predominantly Arab government of discrimination and rebelled against the state. Sudan’s government has been accused of arming local Arab tribes in response to the unrest. While the government denies these accusations, conflict in the region has continued ever since although recent military campaigns have reduced the rebellion to a single force mostly active in western Jebel Marra.

This is where the UN and AU say peacekeeping operations will focus from now on.

This time last year, UNAMID had a ceiling of 15,845 military personnel and 3,403 police officers active in Darfur. This was reduced to 8,735 military and 2,500 police in January 2018. Now, the UN and AU are proposing further cuts that would leave 4,050 military personnel and 1,870 police officers operating in the UNAMID peacekeeping mission.

Peacekeeping chief Lacroix says the mission will also focus on recovery projects and development in the region.

About Aaron Brooks

Aaron Brooks is a UK journalist who wants to cut out the international agendas in news. Spending his early years in both England and Northern Ireland he saw the difference between reality and media coverage at an early age. After graduating from the University of Chester with a BA in journalism, his travels revealed just how large the gap between news and the real world can be. As Editor-in-Chief at East Africa Monitor, it’s his job to provide a balanced view of what’s going on in the region for English-speaking audiences.
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